Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:21
And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allah is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ السَّاعَةَ لا رَيْبَ فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بُنْيَانًا رَبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَى أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْجِدًا (And thus We caused them to be discovered, so that they would know that the promise of Allah is the truth and that the Hour is without doubt. When they disputed among themselves about their affair, some said: build over them a building — their Lord knows best about them. Those who prevailed over their affair said: We shall surely take over them a place of worship.) (21)
The Exalted says: Just as We awakened them after the long duration of their sleep in the very same condition as at the hour they fell asleep — so that they might question one another and thereby come to know more of the greatness of the authority of Allah, and acquire more familiarity through His marvelous defense of His friends — likewise وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ — He says: thus We caused the other faction — those who were in doubt about Allah's power to revive the dead, and who were perplexed concerning the raising up of the bodies of His creation in the very same condition as on the day He took them unto Himself after their decay — to come upon them, so that they would know that the promise of Allah is the truth and would attain certainty that the Hour is approaching without doubt.
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, from Qatāda, concerning وَكَذَلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ — he said: "We caused to come upon them whoever denied this account, so that they would know that the promise of Allah is the truth and that the Hour is without doubt about it."
And His word إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ :
by it are meant those who were caused to come upon the young men. The Exalted says: thus We caused to come upon them those who were in disagreement among themselves regarding what Allah would do with whomever of His servants He had destroyed and let decay in his grave after death — will they be raised up or not? — from the people of Tīdhūsīs, while they disputed among themselves about their affair. And His word فَقَالُوا ابْنُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بُنْيَانًا — He says: those whom We caused to come upon the people of the cave said: build over them a building. رَبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ — He says: the Lord of the young men knows best about the young men and their situation. And His word قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَى أَمْرِهِمْ — the Exalted says: the people who prevailed over the affair of the people of the cave said: لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْجِدًا .
There was disagreement about who made this statement — were they the Muslims or the unbelievers? We have already mentioned a part of it earlier, and we shall — if Allah wills — mention what has not yet been mentioned.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word قَالَ الَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا عَلَى أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسْجِدًا — he said: "that is, their enemies."
[And ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr said:] Allah concealed from those who had come upon the people of the cave their resting place, so that they could no longer find the way to it. The polytheists (mushrikīn) said: "Let us build over them a building — they are sons of our forefathers — and worship Allah therein." The Muslims said: "No, we are the closest to them — they are of us. Let us build over them a place of worship (masjid) in which to pray and to worship Allah therein."
